5.) Fans should be excited about Hunter's return and should expect him to continue to improve upon the standard that he has set as an explosive, shifty back that's hard to bring down. *All of these career numbers are his high school stats over the course of 50 games. We'll start by ranking the top 10 returning players at each position and naming one sleeper who could make some noise this season. James Brooks (1977-80) Brooks played during a relative down era in Auburn history, but that doesnt diminish his accomplishments at all; in fact, it may bemore impressive that he piled up big totals on teams that hovered around .500. It's difficult to imagine any school having a better 10-year parade of running backs than the one Auburn put together from 1976-85. He holds Auburn records for career rushing yards and yards per game and still holds the SEC record for yards per attempt (min. WebTre Mason, Auburn Mason had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2012 and 2013, when he led Auburn to the BCS championship game. Robinson was a five-star recruit in the 2020 class, according to 247Sports, and dazzled down the stretch of his true freshman campaign. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Fournette, with 2,987 yards, has put himself in position to make a run at Walkers career SEC rushing record of 5,259 yards. Sullivan had his best season in 1971 passing for over 2,500 yards and throwing 20 touchdowns. With plenty to choose from, we narrowed it down to a top five. Jackson was drafted into the NFL twice (including No. He didnt give show-stopping performances, but he won Auburn a lot of ballgames. Before Sabans arrival in 2007, Alabamas last big-time running back was the notable Shaun Alexander. See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. Heading into the new year and following the same script with our quarterbacks power rankings, we've slotted college football's Top 10 running backs of the decade, a who's who list of superstars with a heavy emphasis on national relevance. Thatmakes fora lot of unhappy faces when ranking the 10 best. Why he's here: Perhaps the most underrated SEC running back of all-time, I'm not going to underrate the Cedartown, Ga., native here. Cobb has some serious potential to become a great weapon in Hugh Freeze's offense. That grew to 1,100 as a sophomore and surged to 1,577 as a featured back this past season. What I Dont Like: Splitting carries between Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter is already going to be tough this season, so adding a third man to the rotation consistently would be quite a task. (Allen Eyestone / Palm Beach Post / USA TODAY Network). 1500 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns is no small feat for Georgia high school football, so Auburn is getting a solid addition to the running back room in Alston. He doesnt have electrifying speed, but he is elusive and fights through contact as well as anyone. Auburns all-time rushing leader is one of the best to ever do it in college football and it should come as no shock that he was included in ESPNs ranking of the 100 best running backs over the last 60 years (subscription required). . Brooks was the third-highest-graded ball carrier in the FBS from 2018 to 2019 and established himself as one of the top breakaway threats at the position. His 2004 performance landed him at the No. Bo won the Heisman trophy with a monster year, posting 1,786 yards and 17 touchdowns, both Auburn records at the time. He will have one year of eligibility in Bloomington. If Auburn is going to succeed on offense this year, Bigsby will be one of the biggest reasons why. The Tigers were nowhere near the spotlight when the 2010 season began, but thanks to Newton, they owned it when the year concluded. He had almost 2,000 all-purpose yards as a junior in high school and has the potential to be a solid option in years to come for Auburn. 17, Reggie Slack made the jersey famous. As you can see, the numbers are near idential to James, though Freeman played one more season and had considerably more carries. But in Alabamas share-the-carries system, that was Henrys lone 1,000-yard season. There is a considerable amount of talent that Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery are going to have at their disposal. Here's an overview of Auburn's 2023 running back room (scholarship players only) as it currently sits: Hunter took a dip in YPC as his freshman season progressed, but he broke out this past season with three hundred-yard performances over the final three games of the year - including two huge games against Texas A&M and Alabama. Eight completions on 10 pass attempts for 101 yards and an insane 50 rushes for 539 yards and eight rushing touchdowns, including Melvin Gordons nine carries for 216 yards and one touchdown. The quarterback controversy may allow for the offense to truly be run first. Let's take a look at the running back room for Auburn in 2022. Ben Leard had an on-again-off-again love affair with the Auburn fanbase. // Okla. / Texas // ND // USC. On the field, the former four-star running back had a breakout season during his senior year at Woodward Academy in Georgia. He finished with 989 yards as a sophomore and 911 in six games as a junior, when he emerged as a Heisman favorite. Please check your email for a confirmation. Sullivan to Beasley was one of the most well-known calls in college football during the early 1970s. Thankfully for them, they have Tank Bigsby, one of the best running backs in the nation, and a quality backup in Jarquez Hunter. Career stats (2011-14): 631 carries, 4,915 yards, 45 TDs; 22 catches, 248 yards receiving, 4 TDs, Accomplishments: Big Ten champion (2011, 2012); Heisman Trophy runner-up (2014); Doak Walker Award (2014); Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (2014); Unanimous All-American (2014); First-team All-Big Ten (2014). Chubb took over for Todd Gurley midway through the 2014 season and finished with a flurry. 5 all time in touchdown passes, completions and passing yardage. In 2015, Henry had the greatest single season in SEC history breaking Herschel Walkers record, winning the Heisman and leading the Tide to a national championship. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Why he's here: Not bad for a ballcarrier who only started in the Wisconsin backfield his final two years, right? He just missed as a junior, when he gained 979 on 194 carries while splitting the workload with Derrick Henry. Jackson still holds the record for total rushing yards (4,303), rushing yards per game for a career (113.2), and most 100-yard games (21). Carnell Cadillac Williams (2001-04) Paired with another future pro in Ronnie Brown, Cadillac was half of one of the best rushing duos in SEC history. He also added 20 more rushing touchdowns to his total. Jarquez Hunter should be the lead man in the backfield next season, but what does the RB room look like. Ironically, after bursting onto the scene with 1,547 yards rushing as freshman in 2014, Chubb was averaging 8.1 yards per carry as the nation's leading rusher through five games before injuring his knee at Tennessee. Four dozen SEC running backs have rushed fora1,000 yards in the past decade. Bigsby was one of the most impressive true freshmen of the 2020 class, finishing as the fifth-most valuable first-year non-quarterback in the country, per. Georgia rallies, survives on missed field goal to beat Ohio State, reach national title game. He left Alabama with 3,322 yards and 37 rushing touchdowns. Many of Elliott's best outings over his final two seasons came against nationally-ranked competition, including a win over Alabama in New Orleans. Below is a list of PFFs top 10 returning running backs. Auburns Tank Bigsby (4) runs with the ball against Alabama on Nov. 26 in Tuscaloosa. put together a 16-year NFL career and possibly more, as the soon-to-be 38-year-old hasnt officially retired yet we now get to see his son dominate in the collegiate ranks. Who are the best Auburn running backs in program history? He is only a few years removed from a 1,000 yard rushing season at St. Pauls in one of the toughest classifications in Alabama. His bruising frame (5-foot-9, 230 pounds) could be utilized in short-yardage situations, if Freeze were to end up using him. Sign up for the Auburn Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. The former SEC Newcomer of the Year eclipsed the 1,000 rushing yard mark this past season, and he is poised for a monster season in 2022. He ran for 1,816 yards that final season, breaking Bo The former five-star dubbed as the next Adrian Peterson, Fournette only started 24 games of the 31 he appeared in during his short-lived tenure and still managed 19 games over 100 yards rushing including outings of 284, 244, 233, 228 and 212. 1 running back in 2021. Hunter can do that in this offense, where most of the attention will be focused on Tank Bigsby. Auburn has a history of success at the running back position. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Defensive line has been a point of emphasis for Auburn in the 2024 recruiting class. He went on to guide the Tigers to their first national title. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. All-purpose threats. About Saturday Down South | Ethics and Editorial Standards | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Other Conferences: Big Ten | ACC | Pac-12. Stan White is the leader for the Tigers all time with completions and passing yards. Here is a look at how the talented group sorts itself out. 247Sports noted in their analysis that "notone physical trait that stands out among the rest but (Cobb) possesses a well-rounded skill set and has a good feel for the position.". He also averaged 10.5 yards per reception and caught two touchdown passes. Yes, Chubb was better than Gurley (3,285 career rushing yards, 36 TDs). Whether or not Freeze and Montgomery end up giving him any serious playing time is to be determined over the course of the offseason, but Jackson has been praised for his work ethic - hence hisreception of a scholarship. Some might consider this ranking disrespectful, as Hall led the country with 1,562 rushing yards in 2020, but lets not forget that he also saw 28 more carries than any other back and was one of six backs with over 200 carries. 5 overall in the 2005 NFL draft, playing seven years in the pros. He went on to a successful NFL career, making four Pro Bowl appearances. Craig sits at the No.1 spot for the Tigers single-season passing yards mark and completions in a season. Yeldon often is overlooked in the Tides run of great running backs under Nick Saban, but Yeldon came the closest to producing three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Rapid Reaction: Back-to-back! Brooks opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, but he will be back for the 2021 campaign very good news for the Sooners. It is not a secret that Auburns coaching staff is looking to run the ball early and often this season. About Saturday Down South | Ethics and Editorial Standards | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Other Conferences: Big Ten | ACC | Pac-12. In years that Auburn has had a dominant rushing attack, there has always been a change of pace style rusher that helps prevent injury and provides a spark to the offense. Robinson was also productive on the receiving front with 1.63 yards per route run and 10 total receptions resulting in a 10-plus yard gain. What I Dont Like: As much as Bigsby has shined on the field over the last two seasons, the biggest question will be if the star running back can stay healthy. 3 position for touchdown passes in a season with 20. If that is the case, look out. Derick Hall is headed to the projected Super Bowl winner in this latest mock draft. Ingram has the skill set to move up the ladder and push for playing time this season for the Tigers. After that year, he was chosen first overall in the NFL draft by the New York Giants. Nix carries a career record of 19-0-1 as a starter. BYU produced an impressive list of breakout players in 2020; among them was running back Tyler Allgeier, who walked on to the team back in 2018 and spent most of the 2019 season at off-ball linebacker. Campbell was a stud quarterback out of Mississippi when he arrived on the Plains, but was thrown to the fire before he was ready. Career stats:2,979 yards rushing, 32 TD; 249 yards receiving, TD. He entered his sophomore season as the talk of the SEC and was even better. His strong contact balance was on full display as he came away with the fifth-most broken tackles per attempt (0.34) in the FBS. Auburn Football: The 10 Best Running Backs in Tigers History 1 Bo Jackson. 2 Carnell Williams. 3 James Brooks. 4 Stephen Davis. 5 Joe Cribbs. 6 Ronnie Brown. 7 Brent Fullwood. 8 Tucker Frederickson. 9 Rudi Johnson. 10 Ben Tate. He ran for 1,816 yards that final season, breaking Bo JacksonsAuburn record. Find the rest of PFFs top returning college players series here: Career stats: 3,831 yards rushing, 45 TD; 342 yards receiving, TD. Contact/Follow us@TheAuburnWireon Twitter, and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. And a good feel he has. D.J. After a bombardment of distractions that occurred surrounding his recruitment to Mississippi State and Auburn, Newton pushed forward meticulously, guiding the Tigers to a national title in 2010. What I Dont Like: Limited snaps have not allowed Ingram to play to his full potential. It includes every starting running back throughout Nebraska Cornhuskers history, including current running backs and past ones. When 1999 rolled around, Leard returned to the helm and helped guide the Tigers for two more seasons. All signs point towards yes, and there's reason to believe that OC Philip Montgomery and HC Hugh Freeze will be excited about using him. These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. Tidwell was one of two freshmen to ever lead the country in total offense, accomplishing the feat in 1946. Yes, you read that correctly: Allgeier had only 26 career carries entering the 2020 season but still managed to finish the year with a 93.1 rushing grade, the second-best behind Javonte Williams. Pat Sullivan is in the No. He has an almost identical frame to Hunter (5-foot-10, 205 pounds) but has a very different running style - his one-cut bruiser style approach to the game makes him a difficult matchup for opponents as a rotational back - there is no fun in trying to hold Jarques Hunter down and then immediately having to account for a back that does not shy away from contact. After dealing with injuries as a junior, Jackson took over the football world in 1985. Career stats (2014-16): 616 carries, 3,830 yards, 40 TDs; 41 catches, 526 yards receiving, TD; KOR TD, Accomplishments: Consensus All-American (2015); First-team All-SEC (2015); Second-team All-SEC (2016). What I Like: Alston has become one of Auburns biggest assets off the field, essentially being the best recruiter for Auburn this past year. Do you have a sports website? Regarded as one of college football's top running backs over the past few seasons, Bigsby came just 30 yards shy of posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Auburn. We've seen a little bit of everything out of college football's running back position in the last decade, some of the game's top players overall coming from a position that is becoming increasingly less emphasized at the next level as teams move to by-committee approaches in the spread era era. Positional coach Cadillac Williams has a bevy of talented backs with a variety of skill sets but they have little experience. If Gore can improve upon his 84 snaps on the receiving front, an area where he flashed last season, he can climb even higher up this list come 2021. 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Reference and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by REFERENCE... Show-Stopping performances, but what does the RB room look like webtre,... To ever lead the country in total offense, where most of the attention will be focused on Bigsby... Any school having a better 10-year parade of running backs have rushed fora1,000 yards in backfield... Bowl winner in this offense, accomplishing the feat in 1946 owned exclusively by SPORTS LLC..., reach national title game using him program history true freshman campaign splitting the with... 'S best outings over his final two seasons came against nationally-ranked competition including! Bo Jackson if Auburn is going to succeed on offense this year, Bigsby will be focused Tank... On to a top five sophomore season as the talk of the best Auburn running backs Tigers. Grades, Fantasy, NFL draft, Premium stats, Greenline and DFS great in! 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